Means for connecting car-coupling butts and yokes



Mar. 6, 1923. T. E. HOUSE.

MEANS FOR CONNECTING CAR COUPLING BUTTS AND YOKES.

FILED JUNE 15, 1922. 7

Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

- UNITED} STATES THOIVLAS EARLE HOUSE, OF JACKSON, TENNESSEE;

MEANS FOR CONNECTING CAR-COUPLING BUTTS AND"-YOKES."

Application filed June 15, 1922. Serial N0.'568,477.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs E. House, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Madison and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Connecting Car-Coupling Butts and Yokes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the provision of simple and inexpensive means whereby the supporting yoke of a car coupling may be readily attached to the butt of the drawhead in such a manner as to be permanent and avoid the use of rivets or similar devices. As now ordinarily constructed, the supporting yoke has its ends disposed against the outer sides of the butt of the drawhead and riveted thereto. The severe strains to which the device is subjected in coupling and uncoupling cars and in shifting cars quickly. wears away the opposed surfaces of the rivets and the parts through which they are fitted so that lost-motion occurs and the rivets are frequently sheared off, necessitating frequent renewals and repairs. My invention provides means for connecting the yoke to the drawbar whereby the use of rivets is avoided and wear upon the parts is minimized if not entirely eliminated. My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of so much of a coupling as is necessary to an understanding of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the yoke;

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of one of the keys.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of a shank of a drawbar and 2 indicates the butt of the same which is enlarged as is usual. In the present invention, the butt is provided with vertlcal openings 3 therethrough, the outer walls of these openings being parallel with the sides of the butt and the inner walls thereof diverging toward the rear end of the butt. The butt is also provided with sockets 4 opening through its rear end and establishing communication between the rear end of the butt and the said vertical openings 3. The yoke 5 is of the usual form, except that its ends are made somewhat thicker than its sides and taper toward its sides, as shown at 6.

The sockets 4 are wide enough to admit the ends of the yoke and at their inner ends define grooves disposed horizontally in the outer walls of the vertical openings or passages 3. inserted through the sockets 4; and rest against the forward walls of the openings 3, keys 7 are fitted between the inner walls of the said openings and the opposed obliquely disposed surfaces of the yoke and are forced downwardly until their heads 8 rest upon the upper edges of the yoke, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. These keys are relatively thin fiat plates, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, and are provided with splits 9 in their lower ends so that, after they have been inserted between the ends of the yoke and the opposed walls of the vertical openings 3, a chisel or other tool may be forced between the lower ends of the keys and the respectively adjacent surfaces of the openings 3 so that the lower extremities of the keys will be bent to form hooks l0 engaging under the ends of the yoke, as shown in Fig. 2. Vertical movement of the yoke is effectually resisted and prevented by the engagement of the heads 8 and hooks 10 with the upper and lower edges respectively of the yoke and by the engagement of the said edges with the upper and lower walls of the sockets 4. Endwise movement of the yoke relative tothe drawbar is prevented by the engagement of the keys with the opposed surfaces of the yoke and thedrawbar inasmuch as theoblique arrangement of the said opposed surfaces and the keys will cause the keys to have a wedging Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combinatlon of a drawbar provided with sockets in its butt, a yoke having its.

ends insertible in said sockets, and keys engageable through the sockets between the sides of the same and the sides of the yoke whereby to bind the parts together.

2. The combination of a drawhar provided After the ends of the yoke are with yoke-receiving sockets opening through the rear end of its butt and with vertically disposed passages communicating with said sockets, a yoke having its ends thickened at their extremities and tapered rearwardly therefrom at their sides, said ends beingin sertible in the sockets in the butt of: the drawbar, and flat keys insertible through the vertical openings in the butt of the drawbar between the opposed surfaces of said openings and the ends of the yoke, said keys being provided at their upper ends with heads adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the yoke and having their lower ends bendable to engage the lower edges of the yoke.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THOMAS EARLE HOUSE. L 8. 

